Adonit Jot Pro stylus review

Most styluses lack the crucial quality of precision. The Jot Pro aims to defeat the problem with a transparent plastic disc. We find out if it lives up to the claims.

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Specifications

127mm long

24g

Aluminium/steel construction

Expert's Rating

OVERALL

BUILD QUALITY

FEATURES

VALUE FOR MONEY

Price when reviewed

£25

We've seen many different styluses for capacitive touchscreens,which are in iPads, iPods, Android/Windows smartphones, and all new tablets but the Jot Pro is the only one that doesn't have a chubby rubber tip. Instead, a small plastic disc with a metal insert attaches to a ball joint.

The clear plastic means you can see what you're drawing or writing - something that's not so easy with a fat rubber end in the way. The disk remains in contact with the screen up to around 45° which allows you to write just as you would with a normal pen.

After using a rubber-tipped stylus, it feels revolutionary to have the extra precision offered by the Jot Pro and is a real boon if you need to make hand-written notes or simply draw a detailed object in Draw Something. It doesn't matter if you have an iPhone with its small 3.5in screen or a 10in tablet, the Jot Pro works well.

It pays to write and draw slowly, though, as we found that the stylus didn't always make continuous marks if we moved it too fast across the screen. However, we found it generally very responsive during our tests. Working out where a mark will appear on the screen takes a bit of getting used to, as it isn't exactly in the centre of the disc.

Build quality is top notch, though with an aluminium barrel and a rubber grip. A screw-on cap protects the disk when you're not using the Jot Pro and can be attached to the other end of the stylus when you are.

If you have an iPad, Adonit says the Jot Pro will 'cling' to the bezel where the magnets are (the right-hand side). Unfortunately, they're not strong enough to hold it in place. If you move the tablet or tilt it, the Jot Pro falls off - and this is likely to break the disk if the cap is off. You don't get a spare disk in the box and replacements cost a hefty £7.

Worse still, because it's a plastic disc, there's more of a chance that it will scratch your precious screen. Adonit's website even warns you to clean your screen before using the Jot Pro to ensure no dust or other particles get between the screen and the disc. You'll also find a list of screen protectors that the Jot Pro doesn't work well with.

Jot Pro: Specs

127mm long

24g

Aluminium/steel construction

127mm long

24g

Aluminium/steel construction

OUR VERDICT

Much more accurate than a rubber-tipped stylus, but still not perfect. The Jot Pro is expensive, too, but it's well made and comfortable to use.
We think a spare disk should be included in the package; replacements are absurdly expensive. You'll also have to factor in the cost of a screen protector, unless you don't care about your screen being scratched.